EFF tells DA to apologise for ‘enemy number one’ comments to gain support on Lesufi's no-confidence motion

If the Democratic Alliance (DA) wants the support of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in a planned motion of no confidence against Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, the EFF says it must apologise for calling the party the "enemy number one" and its leaders "dangerous demagogues."

This comes after Solly Msimanga, the leader of DA Gauteng, declared that he intended to table the motion against Lesufi. 

Msimanga informed reporters last week that the DA was enlisting the support of other provincial legislature parties.

The initiative comes after Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka found that the deployment of the Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens, known as Amapanyaza, was unlawful.

EFF caucus leader Philip Makwala confirmed receipt of a letter dated October 23, 2025 from Msimanga inviting the party to discuss the proposed motion.

Makwala said while the EFF supported accountability in governance, it was deeply concerned about the DA’s historic conduct and language toward the EFF and its leadership.

“Over time, the DA has gone out of its way to demonise our organisation, using language that is inflammatory and inconsistent with mutual respect between political parties in a democratic dispensation,” Makwala said.

He cited several examples of what he described as the DA’s “consistent hostility” toward the EFF.

“On April 2, 2023, DA leader John Steenhuisen publicly declared the EFF as ‘enemy number one of the DA.’ On July 30, 2023, he referred to the EFF and its leadership as ‘dangerous demagogues.’ On April 5, 2024, he warned of a ‘doomsday coalition’ if the EFF came into government.

“On May 30, 2024, Helen Zille stated publicly that an ANC-EFF coalition would ‘spook investors’ and ‘tank the economy,’” he said.

Makwala added that on May 22, 2025, during a visit to the United States, Steenhuisen said the DA had “joined hands with the ANC to keep the EFF out of power.”

He also referenced a July 17, 2024, DA statement following the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) with the ANC, which asserted the DA’s participation was intended to “prevent the EFF and MK from ever getting their hands on the levers of executive power.”

“It is therefore curious that, despite this posture, you now seek our cooperation to vote your trusted partners out of power in Gauteng,” Makwala said, adding that the DA “wants its proverbial bread buttered on both sides.”

He said the EFF would only consider engaging with the DA if the latter publicly retracts its remarks and issues a formal apology.

“If the DA genuinely wishes to demonstrate good faith, it must publicly retract these inflammatory statements and issue a clear apology. In the absence of such, the EFF cannot participate in any discussions with a party that continues to delegitimise it publicly while seeking cooperation privately,” he said.

ActionSA Gauteng provincial chairperson and caucus leader Funzi Ngobeni also confirmed receiving a letter from the DA seeking support for the motion.

“It must also be said that many of the shortcomings highlighted by the DA -  maladministration, poor leadership, and failures of governance - could have been avoided had the DA not supported Mr Lesufi’s nomination as premier in June 2024,” Ngobeni said.

He added that the DA should apologise to Gauteng residents for “its historic misjudgement” before seeking moral authority to correct it.

A successful motion of no confidence requires at least 41 votes in the 80-seat legislature. 

Ngobeni said the current balance of forces made such an outcome “highly unlikely” without broad coalition support.

“For that reason, we have advised the DA to first secure meaningful engagements with numerically decisive blocs, such as the EFF and MK Party, before seeking the participation of emerging caucuses like ActionSA,” he said.

The MK Party has also reportedly indicated it will not support the DA’s proposed motion against Lesufi.

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

IOL Politics